Toy skateboards are fabricated with rigid truck assemblies molded unitarily with the platform. Steering in the manner of real skateboards, i.e. by tilting the platform to direct the wheels, is therefore impossible.
Adaptation of full sized skateboard truck assemblies for use on toys is both impractical and expensive. A typical skateboard truck assembly is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,025. Positioned on the bottom of the skateboard for each truck are a pivot projecting down at a 45.degree. angle with respect to the bottom and a rigid connector projecting down at a 90.degree. angle. The truck is mounted on these fixtures. A cylinder on the truck fits onto the pivot and a lug loosely fits over the connector. Rubber washers on either side of the lug flexibly retain the lug, and thereby the truck, on the connector. The truck is able to rotate about the pivot within the limitations imposed by the rubber washers. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,253, the skateboard is turned by placing the user's feet on the skateboard platform and tilting the platform to force the trucks to turn on the pivots. The standard 45.degree. angle of the pivot provides a medium turning ability at lower speeds without compromising stability. When pressure is not used to tilt the platform, the rubber washers automatically return the trucks to the straight forward position. Other truck turning assemblies for skates and skateboards are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 244,372; 317,501; 3,995,873; 4,089,536; 4,127,282; 4,152,001; 4,180,278; 4,185,847; and 4,194,752. All pivot about a specific turning angle with respect to the platform except for U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,152,001 and 4,194,752. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,001, the truck is mounted on a leaf spring and pivots about a fixed angle with reference to the leaf spring instead of the platform. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,752, a ball joint is substituted for the pivot shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,025. All have numerous parts unsuitable for a toy.
The present invention is directed to a toy skateboard having steerable truck assemblies based on leaf springs. The leaf springs bend to allow the trucks to turn when the platform is tilted and return the trucks to the straight forward position when the platform is not tilted. The leaf springs in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,001 are not for this purpose being used instead to absorb bumps to obtain a smoother ride in the manner of springs on a car. However, leaf springs are used in U.S. Pat. Nos. 244,372; 317,501; and 3,995,873 for turning control purposes. But they all require the pivoting of the trucks about fixed angles with respect to the platform in the manner of U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,025. In addition, these leaf spring devices also require numerous parts unsuitable for a toy.